PerthNorg

Personally I think part of what needs to be considered is the local governments role in rezoning inner urban land to accomodate more housing.
I know of a few local government councils who have put new zoning policies in place that mean some bigger blocks can no longer be developed. As long as we protect urban parks and open space I think allowing more land to be subdivided is the better way to go.

The availability of housing is not the issue as the ‘wild haired’ lady of the State Government deep down knows! The problem, and it is a far greater one, is the affordability of housing for those not already on the home owners list. The Government needs to look at reducing (abolishing?) Stamp Duty and finding a new initiative to allow first time buyers to find their way into becoming home owners. It is becoming increasingly obvious that with the ‘median’ house price being where it is, coupled with the ridiculous cost of fuel, inadequate public transport and the new IR laws….becoming a home owner in the current climate is fraught with danger and not to be embarked upon lightly. I would say that increased State Housing is more of a priority since many are not going to be able to afford their own home for many, many years to come.

It may be basic economics - increase supply and housing prices will come down - but you also can’t have the government interfering with the ‘free market.’
People will pay what they have to in order to secure a property or piece of land at the moment. No government policy is going to affect that.
High prices are here to stay for the short term and there’s not a thing the government can do about it. It’s actually up to buyers to refuse to buy in the overheated market - only then will prices come down.